六朝觀世音信仰之原理及其特徵──以三種《觀世音應驗記》為線索

The Principle and Characteristics of the Belief in Kuan-yin during the Six Dynasties based on the Book Entitled Records of Kuan-yin's Miraculous Responses and Its Two Sequels

本文以六朝釋教徒視為「實錄」的三種《觀世音應驗記》作為文本，整理出當時觀音信仰的方式與原理：就信仰基礎而言，乃是基於神靈崇拜的形式，發揮著觀音無盡神力與慈受悲願的兩項特質；就宗教應驗以觀，則僅依據《觀世音普門品》裡的現世應許，持誦觀世音名號即能遠離災禍。由於觀音信仰契合著中土傳統宗教的信仰，又切中當時民眾憂懼現世災禍的心理，而能盛行於當代。由此亦可解釋六朝觀音信仰何以排擠了需歷經死亡過程的淨土觀音，以及接受具祕密性格與立即果效的觀音密咒。

This paper is based on the book entitled Records of Kuan-yin's Miraculous Responses and its two sequels that were considered as faithful accounts by the Buddhists of the Six Dynasties. My analyses showed the following principle and form of belief in Kuan-yin of that time: as a belief, it was based on the form of deity wor-ship to bring out the boundless power and the great pitying vow of Kuan-yin; as the miraculous responses of a religion, it was only based on the promise of the 'Pu-men' chapter of the Lotus Sutra that a person could be saved from all manners of disasters by calling on the name of Kuan-yin. Because the belief in Kuan-yin was compatible with the traditional Chinese religion and also tailored to the psychology of people's fear of calamities in this lifetime, it became very popular during the Six Dynasties. It thus explained why the belief in Kuan-yin during this period successfully competed with the belief in the Pure Land Kuan-yin that required the process of death, and accepted the Mantra of Kuan-yin with its mystical characteristics and instant results.